Firearm



Mar. v13, 1923. l

E. F. HEDRICK FIREARM Filed Nov. 4, 1922 2 sheets-sheet l Mar. 1.3, 1923. I 1,448,297

E. F. HEDRICK FIREARM Filed Nov. 4,., 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNlTED STTES EUGENE r. nEDRIoK, or OTTUMWA, IOWA.

FIREARM.

Applipation led November 4, 1922. Serial No. 599,05

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, EUGENE F. HnDRIoK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of l/Vapello and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the breech-block slides in a vertical mortise; and it consists in the novel -construction and combination of the parts v hereinafter fully described` and claimed whereby the hammer is operated to lire the gun by means of a main spring which also retains the lever and breechblock in the closed position, and which also causes the lever to complete its down stroke rapidlyand operate to eject the shell. The novel parts are constructed so that thehammer cannot be cocked unless the breech is closed, and so that the breech will not open when the hammer is cocked, thus affording great safety. The parts are also constructed so as to afford great ease of operation, and so that they are easily assembled and dismounted.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through an action for fire-arms constructed according to this invention, showing the breech closed and the hammer down. Fig. 2 is a similar view but shows the hammer cocked. Fig. 3 is a similar view but shows the breech open and the hammer at safety. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3. F10'. 6 is a detail view showinga modification of the carrier pin for the main spring.

The frame or receiver 7 has tangs 8 for securing it to the gun stock in the usual manner, and 9 is a vertical mortise in the frame provided with parallel sides, The breech-block 10 is slidable in the mortise 9, and carries all the firing mechanism.

The operating lever l2 is pivoted to the frame by a pin 14, and is pivoted to a link bv a pin 16. The link 15 is pivoted to the block 10 by a pin 17. The lever 12 has a curved portion 18 which forms the guard for the trigger, and it has a stop portion 19 which bears on the lower tang when the breech is closed, and it has a handle at its free end. The barrel 20 is retained in a tubular socket 21 on thev frame by means of a screw 22, or any other approved fastening device.

rlhe firingpin 24- is slidable in a guide hole 25 in the solid upper part of the breech-block, and yarranged to come on the axis of the barrel when the breech isclosed. A cross-pin 26 retains the iirin pin in place by engagement with 'a notch I2 in one side vertical slot of it. The breech-'block has a 28 for the lever 12 and link yto workin,A and the upper partpf the lever has a vertical slot 29 lfor the lower part of the link 15 to -,work in. y Y

The trigger 30 is arranged in the slot 28' of the breech-block, and is pivoted to itby a pin v31. The trigger has a helical spring 32 arranged in a hole in it below its pivot pin. Thisspring2 bearson an abutment pin secured crosswise of the slot of the breech-block, and the spring 32 presses the trigger forwardly; The trigger has Ia tooth 34 at its upper part in front of its pivot pin, which is adapted to engage with the usual notches 35 and 36 in the shank 37 of the hammer 37, so as to hold the hammer at safety coclV and at full cock respectively. The hammer slot 28 of the breech-block, and is pivoted on a p in'38. The hammer has the usual thumb-piece 39, and it hasarearwardly projecting lug` 40 below the thumb-piece, which lug overlaps the topof the frame when the hammer is cocked, and thereby prevents the breech from being opened until th'e gun is fired, or until the hammer is lowered to safety. Y, v A

The firing mechanism ,has a single helical mainspring 41 arranged between the shank 37 of thehammer 37 and the 'operating lever 12.v This spring is mounted on a ca rrying. pin 42, ranged in the pivoted to it by a pin 4,4 at a point between the pin 16 which connects the lever to the link 15 and the lever pivot pin 14.

The pin 44 is shown ,in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as engaging with round holes, but thehole 44 can be elongatedcrosswise in the head, if desired, as shown in Fig. 5, to permit the head to have a little play vertically.

The free end portion of they pin 42 has a flattened part 45 which slides freely in a vvertical slot 46 in the hammer shank below the pivot pin 38, The hammer shank has a recess 47 to receive the end of the helical spring 41, so that a spring of sufficient length can be used, and so' as to retain the spring in position.

the head 43 of which is ar-l slot 29 of the lever l2, and is 37 is arranged to work in the spring.

The lever 12 has a projection 48, at the top of the trigger guard, and when the breech is closed this projection closes the bottom of the slot in the breech-block in front of 'the trigger.

The projecting lug 40 on the hammer comes over the mortise in the frame when the hammer is down, and a small pin or closing ieee 49 is secured crosswise of the breech-block to fill the space between the tip of the lug 40 and the frame at the rear end ofthe mortise. This makes a neat finish, and prevents anything from being caught between the lug and the frame. The lug 40 slides over this pin when the hammer is placed at the safety position (sometimes called half-cock) but the lug does not then project over the frame, and it does not prevent the breech from being opened unless the hammer is retracted to a greater extent.

rIhe hammer 37 is automatically raised to its safety position, when the lever 12 is operated to open the breech, by means of a projection or tappet 50 on the link 15, which tappet presses rearwardly on the hammer above its pivot pin, and permits the tooth 34 of the trigger to enter the notch 35 in the hammer shank. j

rIhe ejector 51 for the empty shells is pivoted in the slot 29 of the lever 12 on the lever pvot pin 14 which is arranged in front of and below the pivot pin 44 of the main The ejector 51 has a claw 52 at its upper end for engaging with the rim of the shell, and it has a tooth or projection 54 on the front side of its hub portion 53. The lever 12 has a shoulder 55 at its front portion which engages with the tooth 54 before the breechblock is fully depressed, and it then operates the ejector.

T he trigger 30 has also a projection or lug 56 on its rear part, and when the breech is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the lug 56 prevents the trigger from being retracted to any material extent, by contact with the frame at the bottom of the mortise. When the hammer is cocked, as shown in Fig. 2, the trigger moves forwardly, so that it can be retracted to tire the gun, but the breech cannot be opened until the gun is fired, or until the hammer is placed at safety, because the notched A end portion of the hammer shank is in the path of the upper part of the lever, and prevents the handle portion of the lever from being moved 'downwardly to any great extent.

When the hammer is down, or at safety, the breech can be opened by the lever, and when the pivot pin 44 of the main spring passes below the level of the pivot pin 14 of the lever, the lever is suddenly shot forwardly by the main spring, and completes its stroke automatically. rIhis action causes the shoulder 55 to strike the tooth 54 a sharp blow, so that the ejector is caused to jerk the empty shell forcibly out of the barrel, so that the shell falls clear of the gun. The projection or tappet 50 places the hammer at safety While the breech is being opened; and the hammer cannot be cocked until the breech is closed and the lug 40 on the hammer has been raised clear of the top of the frame'.

What I claim is:

1. In a fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted to the frame, ay breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper end portion of the lever with the upper part of the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block rearwardly of the said link and projecting above it, and a spring arranged between the upper part of the lever and the hammer Shank below its pivot and f pressing them in opposite directions.

2. In a fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted to the frame` a breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper portion of the lever with the upper part 0f the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block rearwardly of the said link and projecting above it, a pivoted carrying-pin arranged between the upper part of the lever and the hammer shank below its pivot, and a helical spring mounted on the said pin and pressing the upper part of the lever and the lower part of the hammer shank in opposite directions.

3. In a fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted to the frame, a breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper portion of the lever with the upper part of the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block rearwardly of the said link and projecting above it, said hammer having a recess in its shank below its pivot, a carrying-pin pivoted at one end to the upper part of the said lever, and a helical spring having its end portions positioned on the said carrying-pin and in the said recess respectively.

4. In a fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted to the frame, a breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper portion of the lever with the upper part of the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block rearwardly of the said link and projecting above it. said hammer having a recess and a vertical slot in its shank below its pivot, a carrying-pin pivoted at one end to the upper part of the said lever and having a iiattened portion at its other end which is slidable in the said slot, and a helical spring encircling the carrying-pin and having one end portion positioned by it and its other end porti'on positioned in the said recess.

5. In a fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted end portion of the lever with the upper part oi the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block rearwardly of the said link and projecting above it, the hammer pivot being positioned above the level of the lever pivot when the breech-block is raised by the lever to close the breech, and being positioned below the lever pivot when the breech is opened, and a spring having one end arranged against the hammer shank below its pivot and its other end operatively connected with the upper part of the lever, the lever end of the spring being positioned above the lever pivot when the breech is closed and below the lever pivot when the breech is open.

6. In a tire-arm, a trame7 a lever pivoted to the frame, a breech-block having an opening at its rear end, said breech-block being slidable in the trame and operatively connected with the said lever, a hammer provided 4with a notch in its: shank and pivoted in the breech-block, and a trigger pivoted in the breech-block and provided with a tooth for engaging with. the said notch, said trigger having also a stop portion adapted to engage with the said frame through the said opening when the breech is closed, thereby limiting the rearward movement of the trigger.

7. In a lire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted to the frame, a breechblock having an opening at its rear end, said breech-block being slidable in the frame and operatively connected with the said lever, a hammer provided with a notch in its shank and pivoted in the breech-block, an abutment secured crosswise in the said opening, a trigger pivoted in the breech-block and provided with a tooth for engaging with the said notch, said trigger having also a hole arranged in line with the said abutment, and a stopportion below the said abutment, and a trigger spring arranged in the said hole and bearing against the said abutment, the said stop portion. being adapted to engage with the said frame through the said opening when the breech is closed.

S. In a lire-arm, a frame having a mortise, a Ibreech-block slidable in the said mortise, a lever pivoted to the frame and operatively connected with the said breech-block, and al hammer pivoted to the breech-block and provided with a thumb-piece, said hammer' having also a lug arranged below the said thumb-piece and adapted to slide into the said mortise when the hammer is at safety cock and the breech is opened, said lug being adapted to overlap and engage with the trame when the hammer is at full cock and the breech is closed.

9. In a fire-arm, a frame having a mortise, a breech-block slidable in the said mortise, a lever pivoted to the frame and operatively connected with the said breech-block, and a hammer pivoted to the breech-block and provided with a thumb-piece7 said hammer having also a lug arranged below they said thumb-piece and adapted to slide into the said mortise when the hammer is at safety cock and the breech is opened, said lug being adapted to overlap and engage with the frame when the hammer is at full cock and the breech is closed, and a closing piece secured in the upper and rear part of the breech-block below the said lug to prevent material from being caught between the tip of the lug and the top edge of the mortise. e

10. In a1 fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted in the frame, a breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper end portion 'of the lever with the upper part of the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block to the rear of the said link and projecting above it, a shell ejector pivoted concentric with the said lever and provided with a projection which is struck by it, and a spring arranged between the upper part of the lever and the hammer shank below its pivot and operating to press them inopposite directions and causing the lever to strike the said projection during the latter part of its down stroke thereby operating the ejector.

ll. Ina fire-arm, a frame, a lever pivoted in the frame, a breech-block slidable in the frame and arranged to the rear of the lever pivot, a link pivotally connecting the upper end portion of the lever with the upper part ot the breech-block, a hammer pivoted in the breech-block to the rear of the said link and projecting above it, the said link being provided with a projection on its rear side which engages with the hammer and moves it to safety cock when thesaid lever is oper ated to open the breech, a trigger pivoted to the breech-block and retaining the hammer at safety cock after it has been operated by the said projection, and a spring arranged between the upper part of the lever andthe hammer shank below its pivotand pressing them in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I have atIiXed my signature.

EUGENE F. HEDRICK. 

